Letter to the Editor: Hector School DistrictTo the Editor, Greg Bell and the others on the Hector Scholarship Fund Committee are to be commended for what they are doing. I donated to the fund and plan to every year, even though I no longer live or work in the district. I encourage others to do the same. It looks like the Plains and Eastern Clean Line project will go through Arkansas somewhere, but I sure didn’t think that it would generate so much tax revenue for the schools. The Hector...

Thompson created enduring landmarksEven in adversity, great minds cannot be suppressed. Charles Thompson, an architect from the early 1900s, was an example of such a man. Thompson rose from a childhood of deep tragedy to becoming one of the most celebrated architectural minds in the state, creating enduring landmarks in communities across Arkansas. Thompson was born in eastern Illinois in 1868, one of six children. In 1883, just after he turned fourteen, both parents died sudde...

Police say car thieves dropped boy at schoolPolice said two car thieves made an unexpected stop after stealing a vehicle Wednesday morning: They dropped an 8-year-old boy off at school after they discovered him in the backseat. Norfolk police spokesman Daniel Hudson said the boy was sitting in his mother’s car in her employer’s parking lot when the men got inside. The keys were in the ignition. Hudson said the boy told police that the men asked him which school he attended and then took...

Letter to the Editor: Presidential accusationsDear Editor, In a recent speech, the President accused us of being afraid of widows and orphans. What a stupid thing for a President to say. That ranks right up there with “We have nothing to fear but fear itself,” “I am not a crook” and “I did not have sex with that woman.” All of those statements were untrue and/or patently misleading. We are not afraid of widows and orphans. However, we are afraid of terrorists. Terrorists have already been...

Letter to the Editor: A special thanksOn behalf of the Quilts of Valor, the American Legion Post 20, the various other Veterans organizations, and the individual Veterans who enjoyed the Veterans Day ceremony at the Center for the Arts, I extend our appreciation for the outstanding morning program. The program was well planned, well organized, and presented. I had no idea the Russellville Band, the Choir and the individual singers performing, would be so talented. I believe they w...

Letter to the Editor: Plains and Eastern Clean LineMy name is Greg Bell, and I’m a business owner in a small Arkansas community in Pope County. The town of Hector isn’t a big one. In fact, by last count, we have around 500 residents that I proudly call neighbors. We serve these folks every day at my place — the Hector Pharmacy. As a business owner, I understand how vital our school district is to this community. I’m writing this letter to encourage my neighbors to seize the opportunity to chan...

History Minute: Maurice Britt respected as an athlete, patriotMaurice Britt, known to friends and fellow Arkansans as “Footsie,” was a widely respected and admired figure in the state for both his skills as an athlete and as a patriot. Because of his courage during World War II, he became one of 25 Arkansans to earn the Medal of Honor, the highest military honor. Britt was born into a farming family near Carlisle in Lonoke County in 1919. The family moved to Lonoke while he was still young, where he atte...

Woman fighting fine for posting pro-cop signA Pennsylvania woman is fighting possible $500 daily fines for posting a handmade crime watch sign in her window warning drug dealers to stay away. Canonsburg Mayor Bob Kipp said Cindy Davis received the notice of having a “non-confirming sign in a residential area” after at least one person complained the sign may be making it harder for neighbors to sell their property. The (Washington) Observer-Reporter reported the sign said, “Thank you CB...

History Minute: ‘Moonlight Murders’ terrified the publicIn 1946, five people were murdered and three more critically injured in a series of bloody attacks that kept Northeast Texas and Southwest Arkansas gripped in panic over the “Moonlight Murders.” The first attack occurred on February 22, 1946, when Jimmy Hollis and Mary Jeanne Larey were forced from their parked car on a secluded road. The two were severely beaten but left alive. One month later, on the night of March 23, Richard Griffin and Po...

Teen clocked at 101 mph was late for classNew Hampshire authorities said an 18-year-old clocked at traveling 101 mph on Interstate 93 south near Concord told police he was late for class. A state trooper observed a pickup truck traveling much faster than the posted 55 mph speed limit Tuesday morning. The truck decelerated to 80 mph as it closed on traffic. The trooper eventually stopped the driver. Nicholas Tobin of Concord was arrested on a charge of reckless operation. He has a Jan....

Crittenden a strong force in Arkansas politicsRobert Crittenden was once a giant in Arkansas politics. As the first territorial secretary, he laid the foundations for the beginnings of Arkansas government and the establishment of Little Rock as the capital. But he would see all of his gains slip away and die at a young age. Crittenden was born in central Kentucky, in 1797. His father was a Revolutionary War veteran and former Virginia legislator. At the age of 17 in 1814, Crittenden joine...

Letter to the Editor: 2016 Social Security IncreaseThe Obama Administration just announced there will be no increase in Social Security for seniors in 2016 because the cost of living has not increased. Where? The same announcement included a statement that Medicare premiums will increase due to higher medical costs. An odd follow up statement even for Washington. There are several possible reasons for their failed 'logic'. They live on another planet, spend too much time in a Marijuana shop, t...

Officer dressed as homeless man catches drivers using phonesA Maryland police officer went undercover dressed as a homeless man to catch people who were using their phones while driving. Cpl. Patrick Robinson went undercover Tuesday morning equipped with a police radio and a body camera. He held a sign that read, “I am not homeless. I am a Montgomery County police officer looking for cell phone texting violations.” Montgomery County police Sgt. Phillip Chapin and about eight other officers issued a tot...

Typo sends callers to ‘party line’The words “free” and “fun” are not the first things that come to mind when talking about the Massachusetts Department of Administration and Finance. Yet a typo in a phone number on a news release issued by the agency Wednesday sent media inquiries to a “free and fun party line” advertising adult hotlines. The Boston Herald reported the release declaring October as Cyber Security Awareness Month mistakenly substituted area code “617” instead of...

Letter to the Editor: DevotionToday. the Marine Corp Marathon is being run in our nation’s capital. As a tribute to my father, James C. “Jug” Knight, I am running in the race. He was a Korean War era Marine. Like they say, “Once a Marine, always a Marine.” The story could stop right there, but for my family, the tribute goes much higher. It extends to the care, love and devotion my father has provided to our mother who has Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. My father’s complete ...

Woman did laundry in woman’s bathtubA Pennsylvania woman was jailed on charges she broke into a neighbor’s home, where she was caught doing her laundry in the bathtub. The Pocono Record reported Kelly Bancroft, 44, of Shenandoah was charged Tuesday and with burglary and criminal trespass. A woman who lives down the street from Bancroft told police she went to use the bathroom about 4:30 p.m. and found Bancroft next to the tub, which was full of water, clothes and shampoo. When t...

Dr. Kountz a pioneer in organ transplantationHe was a pioneer in many ways, and his work helped change the face of medicine forever, but Dr. Samuel L. Kountz Jr., never became a household name. In addition to becoming one of the first African-Americans to graduate from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Kountz became a pioneer in one of the most important new medical fields of the late 20th century, organ transplantation. He was born in the small community of Lexa in northe...

Economic development fundsThe article in Thursday’s paper that talked about whether Economic Development Funds could be used for Weir Road contained information that was just plain wrong. The Fund that Mayor Horton referred to is defined the same as the other ED fund. Its definition reads “....for economic development purposes and to support the creation of private sector jobs, including particularly, industrial development.....”. To state that job creation must be dir...

Woman stops intruder with medieval combat skills, swordAn Indiana woman said her training in medieval combat helped her corner a home intruder. The Indianapolis Star reported Karen Dolley, 43, of Indianapolis threw punches until she had the man cornered during the Thursday night break-in. She then kept him subdued with a Japanese sword she keeps near her bed. Dolley said she learned to fight as a teenager in the Society for Creative Anachronism, a group that recreates skills of the Middle Ages. Sh...

McDermott dared to change ArkansasSharp minds and courageous souls are the ones who ever dare to change the world. Such was the case with Charles M. McDermott. While his remarkable career already would have had a significant impact on Arkansas, McDermott’s drive and imagination almost made Arkansas the birthplace of air travel. McDermott was born in 1808 in rural West Feliciana Parish, Louisana, not far from Baton Rouge. He was born into a large family of sugar cane planters. ...